


The Best of Times

by JustDrinkTea



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Sburb Session, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, No Dialogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-15
Updated: 2013-07-15
Packaged: 2017-12-20 08:00:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/884885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustDrinkTea/pseuds/JustDrinkTea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You might be dirt poor, but you guess you've learned to make the best of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Best of Times

**Author's Note:**

> A short drabble based off a [headcanon](http://justdrinktea.tumblr.com/post/54569419028) sent into me by tumblr user [sooocooool](http://sooocooool.tumblr.com/).
> 
> I liked it so much I had to write it :')

You are 24 years old. You and your boyfriend are both fresh out of college, and are trying to make your way with the shitty jobs you could get. Money is tight, and as your spare change lessens, your debt seems to grow.

You and John live downtown in the smallest, cheapest apartment that was available to you at the time. It's a one-room with a small kitchenette, and a bathroom that barely seems to fit the shower. It's kind of dirty, and you can hear the neighbors fighting every other night through the laughably thin walls, but it's what you still like to call home.

Sometimes the monthly payments are late, and the money set aside for groceries dwindles, but the two of you have managed to make it work so far. The cable and internet are basic and slow- and well as the only real luxuries you have in the apartment.

But every couple of months or so, you manage to save up enough to go out on a date. Like, an actual date. John pays for a movie, and you splurge a little on a nice-ish dinner at a nice-ish restaurant- usually Olive Garden, or Red Lobster; pretty cheap, but better than the fast food the two of you usually call 'eating out'.

And those nights are great. It feels good to be able to spend a little money, to treat yourself and John.

But as much as you look forward to those rare nights, you swear that you look forward to Sundays even more. Just regular ol' Sundays; that's laundry day, after all.

Your apartment building doesn't have laundry facilities available to most of its residents- a few of the more expensive rooms come furnished with washers and dryers, but there was no way the two of you could afford that. Luckily enough, you live within walking distance from a coin-operated laundromat, and every Sunday you and John take the time to meander down and spend the $4 for clean clothes.

It's not so much the laundry part you look forward to- you actually hate the mundane task, and you hate waiting for the cheap, old, clunky machines to finish their cycles. But these outings are the closest to what you and John are really able call 'dates'.

They aren't really dates, obviously; but in the moment, they feel just about as real as can be.

Either you've learned to appreciate the simple things in life, or John really just makes you that content. The both of you sit lazily on the bench by the window and make up things to do for the two hours it takes for your clothes. You'll always make up backstories for the people who pass you by- the woman who always shows up in her bunny slippers has two kids at home, her husband abroad on constant business trips to... "Zimbabwe!" John decides with a laugh.

There's a vending machine by the door. One of those really old ones with the square buttons with the worn-away braille on them. You're surprised- but always glad- that they still take the time and money to restock it with cheap snacks. John always grabs another two dollars worth of quarters when you go to the mat specifically for that vending machine. He'll go up there and buy as much as he can with those couple of coins, and come back with his sweatshirt pocket stuffed with little packs of cupcakes and chips and gum.

And then you'll just sit there, munching absently at the sugary, fatty foods. Sometimes you'll chat for the remaining hour or so, and sometimes the both of you will just sit there in silence and simply enjoy each other's company. John always ends up leaning on you, though, his left hand holding your right. It's nice to be able to drift off into your fantasies and worlds for that short time, and then have him as your constant anchor to reality.

You like to hope that someday you'll have enough money to be able to treat John like you really want to- that someday you can afford to buy expensive clothes and eat expensive foods.

But for now, this is enough. And you know that if you and John ever do make it out of that low-grade apartment of yours, you'll look back on these days and agree that they were the best of times.


End file.
